Korean Job Discussion Forums

[plato's republic]

Hi,

I'm planning to just go to korea on a tourist visa (90days or so since I'm British) and look for a teaching job. I thought I had a job already but it went belly-up due to some dodgy past practices of the school I was supposed to join. Anyway I've got a few questions I hope you'll be able to help me out with. Thanks in advance.

Here they are;

1)How do I go about finding a teaching job in Seoul without going through a recruiter?
-Internet....Which websites?
-Newspapers...Which ones?

2)Which areas of Seoul have the most private institutes?

3)Should I turn up to the schools and just drop off my CV or should I contact them by phone or E-mail first?

4)How long would it take on average to find a job this way?

5)How much money (Won) should I bring for a 2/3 month stay? Of course I'll be staying in a cheap hotel and living frugally.

6)What documents should (must) I bring with me in order to be successful in finding a job?

Anything else I've missed please inform me.

Cheers

[the eye]

1. do your research before hand. check the job board on this site and other esl sites such as 'worknpplay'. to find esl sites, use a search engine.

newspapers: korea times, korea herald

2. don't concern yourself with any area of seoul on the basis of saturation. seek out jobs that have th best security and pay. take down their addresses and phone numbers.
when you arrive, interview them one by one.

3. if you want best and quickest results, i suggest calling them before hand. set up your interview instead of having to return for one.

4. it depends on what you're looking for and how high your standards are. it could take up to 3 weeks, IMO. you are already in the country, so use the airfare you spent as a bargaining chip.

5. you could get by on 500,000won for amonth. stay at a goshiwon.
but you ought to consider the first month of working after you sign a contract. you will not be paid until the end of that month.

6. notorized original degree, transcripts, CV, passport. it would be handier to color photocopy these things so you can hand the copies out instead of ruining the original everytime you have an interview.

[CustomX]

i am in the same situation right now. i have been here almost 3 weeks and am scheduled to sign a contract today. the whole process can get very frustrating, especially if you are very picky.

i spammed every single job board with my resume and waited for people to contact me. of course i also looked on daves, work n play, pusan web, esl teachers board, etc.. for jobs. you will be contacted by both recruiters and individual schools.

though i didnt do this, i think it would be wise to walk into the school yourself and see if they are hiring.

i would give yourself at least a month to find a job....make sure you have enough $. the last thing you want to do is run out of $ while you're here and take a job you're not completely satisfied with. good luck

[plato's republic]

CustomX,

where have you been staying in the meantime? Any tips for a cheap hotel/goshiwon/guesthouse etc?

How much luggage have you got with you?

Also, did you find your job on the net or through a newspaper?

[dulouz]

More tips,

You need more money 500,000 for the first month then one month to get paid

Cell phones turn these people on. You can get a used one for 50,000 and get cards

I made a webpage with all that stuff they ask for over and over again.

[CustomX]

Plato- i am staying with my friends grandmother, so I am not paying anything for rent. When I move out I am going to treat her to dinner, and maybe buy her some soju or other gifts. I think you should search through the other threads to look for housing. I know there are some places that you can get for maybe 2-300,000, though from what I have read they are quite small. It may be worth it though if you are trying to conserve $.

I have 4 pieces of luggage. 2 pieces that both weigh close to 70 lbs each, one which is around 30lb and then a small backpack that was maybe 5lbs? It was a hassle to carry it all on the KAL bus to Lotte World Hotel, but I survived.

I spammed every single job posting site I could find with my resume, photo, etc...The school that I signed with actually contacted me so I never had to use a recruiter.

Trust me, it is definitely worth it to pay for you own ticket and look at the schools in person. Back in November I got tired of recruiters feeding me BS, which is why I came here on my own $. Good luck